This invention relates to connection of data terminals to a data network through wireless access points, and in particular to fault reporting in the event of failure of a primary connection between an access point and the data network.
Connection to data networks such as the Internet has become an integral part of many domestic and small business activities. The rapid wide-scale adoption of this technology by domestic and small to medium business enterprises was facilitated by the use of the pre-existing fixed telephone network to connect the customer premises to the network. Such lines use a wide variety of technologies ranging from modern optical fibre-to-the-premises, to older electrical connections using copper (and even aluminium) lines, with joints & junctions. Even these older lines are in many cases capable of delivering broadband internet services, although many were never designed to do so.
However, all types of line may develop faults that may either completely interrupt the signals, or may only permit a degraded service (voice but no internet, intermittent faults etc.). Additionally, faults and failures may occur in the internet service despite the underlying network being apparently fault-free. There are two classes of such faults, referred to here as “hard” and “soft”. Hard faults have some physical cause, where the transmission properties of the line are affected. One such example is when the ringing of an incoming telephony call can cause the broadband signal to be lost. Soft faults may be caused by network-level authentication failures, software or database problems in the ISP's equipment, configuration or billing issues etc. Whilst it is important that all faults are identified and rectified, intermittent faults such as these may be particularly costly for the ISP, and annoying for the customer. Furthermore, in a deregulated market the physical line may be provided by one operator and the internet service by another. In such a case, it may be unclear in the event of a failure which provider is responsible, or even to whom the fault should be reported.
Typically, one or more user terminals will connect to the public network through a local area network (LAN) controlled by a access point, which mediates data messages between the user terminal and the internet, including providing modem functions. Connection between the terminal and the access point may be by an Ethernet or Powerline connection, but increasingly wireless connection is used (a Wireless Local Area Network “WLAN”) as this allows terminals to be placed anywhere within wireless range of the access point.
Terminals connected to the same access point may also communicate between each other without going through the external network. To provide privacy for such activity, and to ensure the access point is not misused by unauthorised persons to gain access to the internet, access points typically have access protection to ensure only users with the correct access credentials can use it.
Public wireless access points also exist which allow any users with appropriate terminal equipment to connect to the Internet. These access points may be dedicated public access points provided by commercial enterprises to attract custom, or parts of the capacity of privately-owned access points made available to the public by their owners in exchange for reciprocal access rights to other participants' access points.
Failure of the primary connection between an access point and the network can be problematic as users have become reliant on their internet connections for many business and domestic purposes. In many cases a service provider's helpdesk, or a troubleshooting application, can guide the user to establish a replacement connection to the Internet through a public wireless access point whilst the fault in the primary connection is under repair.
Although several types of fault can be automatically identified by the Internet Service Provider, there are other types that require detection and reporting from the customer end. In some cases, the internet connection may fail despite the physical characteristics of the line appearing to be within normal limits, and voice calls operating correctly. Many troubleshooting operations can be made available to the user on the Internet, but if it is the Internet connection itself which has failed, that information is not accessible unless the user has had the foresight to download a diagnostic application or the like in advance. Consequently, such failures account for a very high proportion of calls to network operators' helpdesks—and even that course of action may not be available if the user's telephone line uses the same connection as the Internet connection, and the fault has affected both services. Such systems also require the user to become aware of the fault and report it before the network operator can attend to it.
Many wireless access points intended for small business or domestic use are supplied with two separate network interfaces: a private interface for the subscribed broadband service, and a public interface to provide access to subscribers to the public service. The two interfaces use the same fixed-line access connection, the architecture of the access point keeps the two interfaces completely separate, so that public-side users cannot access the private side of the access point, and also private traffic takes priority over public traffic.
In residential areas, there will typically be multiple access points visible, within wireless communication range of each other. These access points have to be aware of each other in order to select a channel on which to operate which is free from interference from neighbouring access points. If a user terminal can detect more than one access point, the access point to which the user has access rights to the private side has to be identified (either by a user input or by data stored on the user terminal) before connection can be attempted.
The applicant company's existing International Patent Application WO2014/083296 describes a process for connecting a failed line's access point to an adjacent public access point in order for the failed line's user to maintain internet access. He may use this access to report the faulty access point. However, this requires the user to initiate the process. Consequently if a fault develops when a user is not present, he will not discover the fault until he wishes to use the internet connection.
The applicant company's existing International Patent Application GB2014/000442 provides a wireless access point which monitors for loss of connection between its network interface and a network, and establishes wireless connection to a network-based service centre through its wireless interface and a second wireless access point which still has a network connection, in order to transmit a message to a service centre indicative of the loss of the network connection.
The present invention provides a different approach, which does not require that another access point with a working backhaul network connection be available within range of the first, failed one. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for reporting faults in a telecommunications network wherein                a wireless access point transmits one or more identity codes identifying respective functional interfaces through which network connections are available,        the access point suspends one of the identity codes if connection to the telecommunications network is lost, and replaces it with a special identity code indicative of such lost connection, associated with a further functional interface, wherein a mobile telecommunication terminal detects the special identity code transmitted by the access point and generates an alert message over the further functional interface.        
A suitably-equipped mobile communications terminal can then detect the special identity code transmitted by the access point and generate an alert message.
After detection that connection to a network has been lost, the access point may remain capable of providing services not dependant on the telecommunications network, and may continue to transmit another identity code, in respect of such non-network services.
Preferably, the mobile unit is arranged to select connection to a wireless access point transmitting the special identity code in preference to any other wireless access point that it can detect.
The access point may cease transmission of the alert in response to an acknowledgement from the mobile unit.
The mobile unit, having generated the alert message, may then disconnect from the access point and seek a second wireless access point through which to make a new wireless connection over which to transmit the alert message. It may store the alert message it has generated until it has established a connection to a report logging centre through a second access point or, where the alert message is transmitted using the first access method, the mobile communications terminal may transmit the alert message to a report logging centre using a second access method. Alternatively, the alert message is displayed on an output of the mobile unit.
Another aspect of the invention provides an access point for wireless communication having a wireless interface for communication with one or more mobile terminals and a network interface for connection to a communications network such that the mobile terminals may communicate with each other and the communications network, the access point having:                a wireless access control system for transmitting one or more identity codes over the wireless interface to indicate respective functional interfaces through which respective network connections are available and controlling connection by mobile terminals to the access point,        a network monitor for monitoring the connection to the network interface        a fault processor for controlling the wireless access control system in response to the network monitor by suspending transmission of one of the identity codes if connection to the network is lost, and replacing it with a special identity code indicative of such lost connection and associated with a further functional interface, wherein the access point is configured to communicate with a mobile telecommunications terminal detecting the special identity code transmitted by the access point to generate an alert message over the further functional interface. The invention also provides a mobile communications terminal arranged for wireless communication with a network through a wireless access point, and having means for establishing connection with a wireless access point over a functional interface in response to detection of an identity code transmitted by the access point identifying availability of network connections over the functional interface,        the mobile communications terminal being arranged to generate an alert message in response to detection of a predetermined special identity code associated with a further functional interface, indicative that connection has been interrupted between the network and the access point transmitting the special identity code, wherein the mobile communications terminal is arranged to disconnect from the access point having generated the alert message, and to attempt to make a new wireless connection to a second access point.        
The access point is therefore enabled to report the connection failure to any suitably-equipped mobile unit that comes within range.
The mobile unit can then pass on the report to where it is needed by any suitable means. This may be through another access point which is within range of the mobile unit, or later comes within range of the mobile unit as it moves around. The alert may use the same protocol, or any other protocol for which the mobile unit is configured, for example using an SMS text message.
The report, or a compilation of several such reports, may instead be presented to the user of the mobile unit, for example a field technician sent to investigate connection problems in a particular area, who would use the mobile unit to seek out access points generating the special identity code. Such reports may be used to populate a database using other data, for example time and location (GPS) data, to allow further analysis of the connection problem. Such data may be collected over a period of time to allow analysis of intermittent problems.
The invention allows connection or service faults to be automatically reported even when the network connection line itself has failed, provided the access point itself is still operational.
This automatic fault reporting saves costs for the service provider as it reduces the need for a helpdesk, and may offer improved fault-fixing. Additionally, many faults would be auto-reported before the customer even becomes aware of them: for example if the fault arises when the customer is asleep or away from home, providing the access point has been left powered up and connected. Consequently the fault can be identified, reported, and hopefully rectified, before the user next wishes to use the connection.
The invention may be implemented by software installed in the access point, either on manufacture, or by subsequent upgrade of the programming of the access point by installation of software provided on a physical carrier (e.g. a CD-ROM) or by download over the internet connection.